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An Early look at QBs and the 2025 NFL Draft

Writer's picture: IE Sports RadioIE Sports Radio

By: Mike Patt


Original Date: 1/2/24



Hello sports fans, and welcome back to the IE Sports Radio Blog. The 2024 NFL regular season is quickly drawing to a close. We are but two weeks away from the playoffs, and while there are some interesting playoff races, a large portion of the league (15 teams to be exact) is eliminated. With the last week of games remaining, only 17 teams remain in the fight for the post-season. There are a few interesting division races remaining, and there is a fascinating scenario involving the Dolphins, Broncos, and Bengals for the final AFC wild card spot. It is crazy that Minnesota and Detroit both sit at 13-2, and one of them will be a wild card team with a first-round road game.


One aspect of the 2024 season that I find puzzling is just how many bad teams there are. With one game remaining, nine teams have either three or four wins. No one has less than three, and one additional squad (New Orleans) has five. The order is still to be determined with everyone so close, but those ten will own the top ten picks in the draft. None of these teams play each other in the final week, and with several teams having clinched their playoff positioning, it is possible some teams will add to the win totals. Still, it is tough to imagine this group (who has a combined 37 wins) get much more than 41-43 wins total. That is less than 4.5 wins per, which just feels low.


As with every NFL draft class, the conversation begins with the Quarterback position (namely who needs one and what prospects are available). This class is an interesting group to evaluate. It does not have the top tier talent of the 2021 or 2024 classes but is definitely superior to the 2022 class which only featured one first rounder and produced zero starters. It feels closer to 2019 and 2023, which had a few good options but lots of questions top to bottom. The depth of the class adds intrigue, as teams looking for affordable young back-ups or stop-gap solutions could show interest. Let’s look at the key pieces available and the teams likely to be looking at them.


Definitely in the QB Market: Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans

Not much to think about with these teams. The Giants have finally moved on from the Daniel Jones experiment and are ready to find the next franchise leader. Aiden O’Connell has been better than you might think for Vegas, but they need to bring a shiny new piece to their shiny new hometown. Tennessee is in a similar spot with Will Levis as the Washington Commanders were last year with Sam Howell. A 2nd year QB who made some plays but ultimately the team performed poorly. Washington moved on and it worked out. The titans should follow suit.


Draft position is going to be a big factor. The Raiders and Giants were one and two in the order just a couple of weeks ago. Both have won since then, and now Vegas is down to 8 while New York is sitting at 4. The problem is that, as we discussed, there are not a ton of elite options in this class. Tennessee is poised ahead of the two, and a team coming up on this list is also ahead. Unless things break the right way for either squad in week 18, this is going to be a tricky process to navigate. At least one of these teams is going to have to hit the free agent market or take a risk.


Intriguing Cases: Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints

There is a lot to unpack with this group. Let’s start with Pittsburgh, which is probably the easiest case. The Steelers are a playoff team with a ton of talent, but their QB spot has been inconsistent between Russell Wilson’s play and Justin Field’s injury. Also, the entire position group will be free agents this off-season. They have the money to pay someone or make a trade, but they could look for the next young option. New Orleans is in salary cap hell, and finding a trade partner to take Derek Carr’s contract would go a long way to helping them out of the hole. However, that trade would have terrible value and leave them in need of franchise QB, which they might need regardless. And no, I do not think Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener are long-term solutions.


The Jets find themselves in an (expectedly) awkward situation with Aaron Rodgers. He is not the player he once was and is contemplating retirement as he has been doing for the past five years. In my opinion, they should cut ties and move on. Whether they do that will determine if they are looking for another piece at the position. Then there is Cleveland. Their situation with Deshaun Watson could be an article all on its own. The two-sentence version is this: Cleveland needs to find a new option and will have the draft positioning to get a really good piece. They likely cannot offload Watson this year, but next year there is a possibility and if they can tread water with the salary cap AND find the next man up, that is the route they should go.


Puzzling Young QB Conundrums: Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts

Dark Horse Candidates: Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers

None of these teams are likely to take a QB early, but their situations should be discussed. Carolina and Indy are in similar boats. Both took QBs early in 2023 and have struggled to find success and/or see them develop. Bryce Young has shown better play in the second half of 2024, so Carolina will likely give him another shot. I have no idea how the Colts are going to manage Anthony Richardson. Arizona and Dallas have both given massive contract to QBs who leave plenty of doubts. I am not saying either will make a move, but there is potential for dramatic change, especially in Arizona where the Cardinals can trade Kyler Murray’s contract without major ramifications. The 49ers question is simple; do they think Brock Purdy is the guy. If so, pay him…if not, now’s the time to move on.


Top Prospects: Cam Ward (Miami), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)

Next Tier: Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Carson Beck (Georgia), Quinn Ewers (Texas)

For many analysts, the top two in this class are already set. Most believe that Ward and Sanders are the only first round worthy talents. Neither are perfect either. Sanders makes a lot of wow plays, but I do not know if he has the athleticism to continue making such plays in the bigger, faster NFL. Ward has some mechanical issues and fumble problems to work on, and scouts will question his decision to only play half of Miami’s bowl game. Still, for the teams we discussed above, they will more than suffice. I do not anticipate either last past the top four picks.


The next tier gets more muddled. The talent and playmaking abilities take a step down compared to the top two, and the question marks increase. Milroe is a phenomenal athlete but is coming off a terrible bowl game performance and will need time to develop. Beck and Ewers both have incredible arms but trust them way too much. All three are not day one upgrades. I could see one of them sneaking into the back end of round one, especially if a desperate team trades up. I could also see them sliding to the latter half of day two. It would not surprise me if one or more fell to the next tier below, and one of the guys below rises up to here before all is said and done.


Other Names to Know: Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Kurtis Rourke (Indiana), Riley Leonard (Notre Dame), Cade Klubnik (Clemson), Will Howard (Ohio State), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)

It is important to note that not all of these players are confirmed for the 2025 draft. There are many seniors on this list but given the recent trend of players being granted extra eligibility, you can never be sure. However, I do believe that if any of these prospects are available, they will get drafted. Each one has the skill set or talent level (not necessarily both, which is why they are here) to intrigue talent evaluators. They might not be the solutions for teams definitely on the market, but those with intriguing situations or dark horse candidates could see one of these guys as their answer. If anything, teams looking for young back-ups will flock to this group in the later rounds.


The free agent/trade market is going to have some influence on this matter. Sam Darnold is probably the best name on the market, and how Minnesota decides to manage his contract will be a focal point of the off-season. Kirk Cousins is on the trade block, which would be a nice stop gap solution for one of these teams. Then there are the names we have already discussed, like Purdy, Carr and Murray. Other names are available, but none would solve the problem for the teams we discussed. If we do the math, some of them will have to stay put with what they have.


Tune in to Let’s Wine About DMV Sports, hosted by Mike Patt, on Saturdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM CST. Be sure to tune in to all of the shows here on IESR, whether live throughout the week or later on. Check out our website iesportsradio.com for all of the latest updates, merchandise, and more. Shout out to our sponsors Planet Jerky, Seal the Deal Wax Seals, and Vital Apparel, and all of your loyal listeners that continue to help our network grow. Thank you for reading, and we will see you next time on IE Sports Radio; your direct feed for ALL that is sports.

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